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Spanish Governor of New Mexico
Flag of the Viceroyalty of New Spain
Residence	Santa Fe
Appointer	King of Spain
Formation	November 1598; 426 years ago (1598-11)
First holder	Juan de Oñate
Final holder	Facundo Melgares
Abolished	January 1822; 202 years ago (1822-01)
Succession	List of Mexican governors of New Mexico

Spanish Governors of New Mexico were the political chief executives of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (New Mexico) between 1598, when it was established by an expedition by Juan de Oñate, and 1822, following Mexico's declaration of independence. New Mexico became a territory of the United States beginning in 1846, and a state in 1912.

History

In 1598, Juan de Oñate pioneered 'The Royal Road of the Interior Land', or El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, between Mexico City and the Tewa village of 'Ohkay Owingeh', or San Juan Pueblo, founding the Nuevo México Province under the authority of Philip II. He also founded the settlement (a Spanish pueblo) of San Juan on the Rio Grande near the Native American Pueblo. In 1610, Pedro de Peralta, then governor, established the settlement of Santa Fe in the region of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Rio Grande. Missions were established for conversions and agricultural industry under the authority of the governor. The territory's Puebloan peoples resented the Spaniards denigration and prohibition of their traditional religion, and their encomienda system's forced labor. In 1680, the Pueblo Revolt occurred, and a final resolution included additional protections from Spanish efforts to eradicate their culture and religion, the issuing of substantial communal land grants to each Pueblo, and a public defender of their rights and for their legal cases in Spanish courts.

In January 1822, the last Governor under the Spanish regime, Facundo Melgares, lost the title of governor and was now called géfe político (political chief) and géfe militar (military chief). Subsequently, Melgares became the first Mexican Governor of New Mexico, serving until July 5, 1822 when he was succeeded by Francisco Xavier Chavez, though he would hold office for just five months.

Governors

The following is a list of governors of the Province of New Mexico under the Viceroyalty of New Spain:

1st stage (1598–1680)

The political chiefs (géfe políticos) or governors were:

2nd stage: Governors and Pueblo leaders during the revolt

From 1680 until 1692, the Puebloans revolted against Spanish domination and lived under their own rulers. The political chiefs or governors and Pueblo leaders were:

3rd stage (1688–1822)

The political chiefs (géfe políticos) or governors were:

See also

	History portal
	North America portal
	United States portal
	Mexico portal

• History of New Mexico
  • List of Mexican governors of New Mexico (1822–1846)
  • List of U.S. governors of New Mexico (1846–present)

References

1. Twitchell 2007, p. 185.
2. New Mexico Commission of Public Records – New Mexico Governors Under the Administration of the Spanish Crown Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ New Mexico Governors.
4. ^ Reséndez 2016, p. 121
5. Reséndez 2016, pp. 119–120.
6. Reséndez 2016, p. 120.
7. Espinosa 1988, pp. 32–37.

Sources

• Espinosa, José Manuel (1988). The Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1696 and the Franciscan Missions in New Mexico: Letters of the Missionaries and Related Documents. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806123653.
• "New Mexico Governors". State of New Mexico – Commission of Public Records ~ State Records Center and Archives. Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
• Reséndez, Andrés (2016). The Other Slavery: the uncovered story of Indian enslavement in America. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-547-64098-3. OCLC 913924416.
• Twitchell, Ralph Emerson (2007-05-30). Old Santa Fe. Sunstone Press. ISBN 978-0-86534-574-4. Retrieved 2012-07-15.

• Colonial governors of Santa Fe de Nuevo México
• Governors of New Mexico
• Spanish colonial governors and administrators
• Lists of American colonial governors
• People from New Spain
• Colonial Mexico
• Colonial New Mexico
• Colonial United States (Spanish)
• New Mexico history-related lists